The United Fresh Produce Excellence in Foodservice Awards Program, now in its tenth year, pays special tribute to chefs and foodservice operations for excellence in the use of fresh produce in the culinary arts.

The eight winning chefs AND their accompanying corporate executive will receive:

Complimentary roundtrip airfare and registration to United Fresh 2017;

Two nights of hotel accommodations;

Commemorative Award; and,

Recognition on stage at the Retail-Foodservice Celebration Dinner.

Selection Criteria

Nominations were accepted for each of the following eight business categories:

Business in Industry

Casual and Family Dining Restaurants

Colleges and Universities

Fine Dining Restaurants

Hospitals and Healthcare

Hotels and Resorts

K-12 School Foodservice

Quick Service Restaurants

A panel of produce foodservice experts evaluated nominees on the following criteria, selecting eight winners, one for each business category:

Creativity in using fresh produce in concept development and menu design, including the ability to incorporate produce into culinary trends.

Knowledge and use of proper fresh produce handling procedures.

Produce-related outreach or special events, such as community service projects, local educational outreach, etc.

Recognition among peers and/or by their company, such as awards, additional responsibilities, and training

Nominees must have committed to attend United Fresh 2017 to be eligible to participate.

Why Should You Participate?

By participating in this program, you have an opportunity to honor chefs – leaders in integrating and elevating the use of fresh produce in the culinary arts.

You’re recognizing the chefs and culinary professionals who delight consumers with fresh produce on their menus.

You’re offering exceptional chefs an opportunity to further their knowledge as they participate in education workshops, engage with industry leaders and learn about new produce products and services at the United Fresh 2017 convention.

Foodservice executives can recognize their culinary professionals at no cost.

Winning foodservice operations are recognized as leaders in the use of fresh produce.